What’s the Difference Between Solid Timber Flooring and Engineered Timber Flooring?

Old is gold. These words are now the motto of almost all industries be it fashion, art, architecture, etc. keeping up with this motto of bringing back older trends let us see the return of the classic solid Timber flooring against the newer Engineered Quality Discount Timber Melbourne. So, which is better? The age-old classic or the new technically advanced Timber Flooring. Before you decide on your favorite let us first look at a quick overview of these two most popular timber flooring currently persistent in the market.

Further in the article, you will read about the differences between Solid Timber flooring and Engineered Timber flooring. This gives you a quick understanding of both these flooring options, enough to know which you like best. 

What is a solid timber floor?

Similar to the planks used back in the days for structural purposes, solid timber flooring simply entails good quality, old-fashioned hardwood planks – similar to the ones you see in your grandma’s house.

Solid Timber is thicker as compared to engineered timber and hence can be sanded and treated more than an engineered timber floor. Since it is an olden aesthetic solid timber is made only of timber employing a tongue and groove method. Raw boards are installed and are later on sanded and polished. Depending on the thickness of the timber used the floors can be sanded and polished multiple times. 

With Solid Timber, it is essential to control the amount of moisture exposure to the wood during manufacturing to ensure the wood doesn’t expand and distort after installation. To avoid this solid timber flooring is dried in a kiln to control the moisture content in the wood. 

What is Engineered timber flooring?

The key difference between solid timber and engineered timber is the composition. On one hand, we have solid timber which is simply slabs of timber wood, nothing more. On the other hand, engineered timber is made up of two or more layers of wood bonded together under heat and pressure. The top layer of engineered timber flooring canberra usually comes prefinished but you can also find them raw. Underneath the top layer (which is made of timber) cheaper plywoods are used to increase the stability of the board. The composition and design of the engineered timber are such that it eliminates the humidity related issues that are commonly seen in solid timber. 

The composition of engineered timber may offer better stability but it does reduce the option of future sanding and sealing. While comparing these flooring options, functionality plays a significant role in addition to aesthetics. Solid timber does however deliver a more classic look and feel. Engineered flooring may lack the warmth of solid timber but it too looks quite good. It is perfect for those who have a tighter budget. Also, it is highly durable and long-lasting which more than makes up for the warmth lacking factor.

Conclusion

Now that you are aware of the differences between solid flooring and engineered flooring you might agree there is no better option. It all comes down to preferences and functionality. Based on your taste, desired aesthetic, and budget you can decide the option that works best for you.